And one-fourth to joseph l



' Nov. 2 1926.

' 1,605,776 J. D. RICHARDS SOCKET WRENCH;

'Fi1 ed March 11. 1926 J aria Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE D. RICHARDS, OF LA FONTAINE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TOANSON C. RICHARDS, OF TREATY, INDIANA, AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOSEPH L. DAVISAND ONE-FOURTH TO CARRIE L. DAVIS, BOTH OF LA FONTAINE, INDIANA.

SOCKET WRENCH.

Application filed March 11, 1926. Serial No. 94,018.

This invention relates to socket wrenches and more particularly tosocket wrenches .for use in removing the nuts and bolts employed inholding the fish plates to track rails.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which will remain firmly in engagement with the nut or bolthead during the entire operation of removing the nut.

In such devices heretofore constructed, the arrangement of the parts hasbeen such that the point at which the socket engages the nut and thepoint of effective engagement of the handle therewith are so arrangedthat oscillation of the handle tends to tip the socket upon the nut withthe result that the handle wobbles and the socket becomes disengagedfrom the nut unless constant attention is given the same. Furthermore,in ratchet wrenches of this type, the ratchet pawl as carried by thehandle is engaged with the socket either in alignment with the handle orinwardly of the handle with respect to the open face of the socket andthus the thrust applied from the handle to the socket tends to wedge thehandle outwardly away from the nut and rail with the result that thesocket constantly tends to move outwardly upon the nut and eventuallyreleases therefrom. An important object of this invention is to producea device in which the arrangement is such that these difficulties areovercome.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a socket wrench constructed in accordance with my inventionFigure 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a handle member 10 which,adjacent one end, is offset, as at 11. The offset ortion 11 provides ajournal, as at 12, for the shank 13 of a socket 14, which socket isarranged at that side of the offset portion 11 underlying the bight 15produced in offsetting the handle. Any suitable means may be providedfor removably retaining the stem 13 within the journal 12 as, forexample, a cotter pin 16. Immediately above the bight 15 of the offset,the handle 10 has mounted therein a pivot 17 upon which is mounted apawl element 18 for coaction with ratchet teeth 19 formed upon theexterior of the socket. The pawl 18 swings from side to side of thebight 15 to determine the direction of ratchet movement. It will benoted that the handle 10 operates in a plane lying more nearly adjacentthe open mouth 19 of the socket than the point of engage ment of thepawl therewith so that. strain. applied by the pawl to the handle willtend to urge the free end of the handle toward the plane of the open endof the socket. When in this position, the handle operates insubstantially the plane of thenut N engaged in thesocket so that thereis little tendency of the handle to Wobble or of the socket to moveoutwardly upon the nut.

Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is obviously capable of acertain range of change and modification without materially departingfrom the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such specificstructure exceptas hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. A ratchet socket wrench comprising a handle having an offsetadjacent one end, a journal carried by said end, a socket rotatable insaid journal and underlying the bight of the offset, a pivot carried bythe handle above the offset and a pawl upon said pivot and overlying thebight of the offset, there being ratchet teeth upon the socket forengagement by the pawl.

2. In a ratchet socket wrench, a handle having a transverse ournal inone end there of, .a socket rotatable in said journal and providedinmmediately adjacent the face of the handle with ratchet teeth, thehandle being offset immediately above the socket the bight of the offsetoverlying the socket and a pawl pivoted to the opposite face of thehandle from the socket and at the opposite side of the offset of thehandle from the socket for engagement with the ratchet teeth of thesocket.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

Y JESSE D. RICHARDS.

